A conventional example of such a container storage facility is disclosed in JP Publication of Application No. 2014-241377 (Patent Document 1). This container storage facility comprises a container storage structure having a storage rack that includes a plurality of storage sections arranged one above another along the vertical direction with each storage section adapted to store a container for holding a plurality of semiconductor substrates, and a transport device for transporting containers, one container at a time, between any of the storage locations and a carry in and out location. And inactive gas supplying devices which supply inert gas to the interior of the containers are provided to the plurality of storage sections of the container storage structure. Therefore, a container storage facility with an inert gas supplying function is disclosed in Patent Document 1.
The container storage facility of Patent Document 1 includes a first controller for controlling the operation of the transport device, and a second controller for controlling the operations of the inactive gas supplying devices. In addition, the inactive gas supplying device is configured such that the supplying state of inert gas can be changed. Therefore, the container storage facility of Patent Document 1 can properly supply inert gas to any of the containers based on, among other factors, the elapsed time since the container is brought to, and stored in, a storage section.
In addition, the storage rack of the container storage facility of Patent Document 1 is provided in an internal space which is isolated from the external space by walls. And a wall is provided with a door for a worker to enter and exit the facility. When the door is opened to allow a worker to enter the internal space, the second controller controls the inactive gas supplying devices to stop supplying the inert gas, in order to reduce the lowering of the oxygen concentration in the internal space.
The container storage facility of Patent Document 1 is provided with a third controller which issues commands to the second controller for causing the second controller to operate the inactive gas supplying devices. When the door is closed and thus inert gas can be supplied, the third controller issues a command to the second controller for resumption of the supplying of inert gas. This arrangement ensures the safety of a worker when entering the internal space and facilitates prevention of deterioration of the semiconductor substrates in the stored containers. Note that each of the first controller, the second controller, and the third controller consists of a separate computer and that these computers transmit and receive information to and from each other through one or more communications relay devices (hub etc.).
While not described in Patent Document 1, a container storage facility with the inert gas supplying function, such as one disclosed in Patent Document 1, can also be obtained by retrofitting inactive gas supplying devices to a container storage facility which was not originally equipped with these inactive gas supplying devices.
FIG. 6 of the present application shows the connections and electric power supply paths between various devices provided to the container storage facility obtained by retrofitting the inactive gas supplying device. FIG. 6 shows a container storage facility including two container storage structures J (first container storage structure J1 and second container storage structure J2) with the electric power supply paths shown with dashed lines.
The purging devices 20 (first purging device 20A and second purging device 20B) that function as inactive gas supplying devices and the second controllers Hp (first-storage-structure-side second controller Hp1 and second-storage-structure-side second controller Hp2) require relatively large amount of electric power. Thus, the container storage facility is retrofitted with distribution boards Pb for purging (distribution board P1b for purging in the first storage structure and distribution board P2b for purging in the second storage structure) which are electric power supplies provided separately from the distribution boards Pa for transporting (distribution board P1a for transporting in the first storage structure and distribution board P2a for transporting in the second storage structure) which are existing electric power supplies. In this case, it is preferable that each distribution board Pb for purging is powered through a different electric power supply path from the electric power supply path for the distribution board Pa for transporting. In terms of the components shown in FIG. 6, the container storage facility is retrofitted with distribution boards Pb for purging which are provided separately from the distribution boards Pa for transporting which are electric power supplies for supplying the operational electric power to the stacker cranes 10 (first stacker crane 10A and second stacker crane 10B) which function as transport devices and to the first controllers Hs (first-storage-structure-side first controller Hs1 and second-storage-structure-side first controller Hs2). And each distribution board Pb for purging is powered through an electric power supply path that is different from the electric power supply path for the distribution board Pa for transporting.
The hubs Ca (first hub Ca1 and second hub Ca2) for relaying communication signals between controllers may be connected to, and powered by the electric power supplied by, respective distribution boards Pa for transporting if there is any additional communication port available.